Show Review: Terraplane Sun at Hollywood Palladium (5/30/13)

It’s no easy task being a local supporting act for a sold out show where the majority of the audience consists of screaming and barely legally able to drink females. This was night #2 for Imagine Dragons at the Hollywood Palladium and the kind of show where the audience is so passionate about the headliner that they would just as soon skip the openers and dive
straight into the main dish. So the Venice Beach, CA five-piece Terraplane Sun had their work cut out for them when they took the stage at 7:30pm to an already packed room. That said, Ben Rothbard, Johnny Zambetti, Cecil Campanaro, Lyle Riddle, and Gabe Feenberg had no problem making the room and the people in it their new BFFs with their Delta blues swagger and California sun. It’s as if the Doors, Johnny Cash and CSN decided to shack up, musically of course. What’s obvious is that these guys are accomplished musicians: everything from guitars to lap steel to keys to a mandolin to a trombone made an appearance during their set. What’s not so obvious is how they manage to seamlessly fuse what have to be many various tastes and influences, making vintage tones sound fresh and lively: somehow they do. Collectively they looked as comfortable on the large Palladium
stage as they do in club settings (even if you don’t know who they are, they’re hardly new to the game) and performing with a natural ease and showmanship to where, if you looked around the audience you were sure to spot a girl or two falling a little in love with at least one band member. Their set was short, but sweet and effective as they served up “Funnel of Love” and “Ya Never Know” highlighted by the lively steppers “Tell Me I’m Wrong” (folks just loved Feenberg’s trombone solo) and their ode to going after what you want, their single “Get Me Golden.” Rothbard’s lead vocals were fortified by quality harmonies, Zambetti showed off his solid lead guitar skills, as rhythm sections go, Campanaro and Riddle were joined at the hip and Feenberg is probably that secret weapon that every band needs. When it was over, the applause and yells of approval spoke for themselves. As did the scramble for the EP’s that Rothbard tossed into the crowd.